Church groups, youth in Davnor town join day of fasting for peace; condemn use of chemical weapons vs. civilians in Syria

STO. TOMAS, Davao del Norte–Church groups in this town have rallied to the call of their church leader Pope Francis to observe a worldwide day of fasting and prayer inviting all Christian of every denomination to take part in this unprecedented effort for peace in Syria called for today, September 7, the vigil of the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady, whom the Pope and Roman Catholic worldwide venerate as Queen of Peace.
“Those who are gathered here today are peace advocates and Catholic faithfuls who joined and responded heartily to the call of our Church headed by Pope Francis including other church leaders and political leaders to observe fasting among ourselves as we offer prayer for Syria,” Ignacio Lasco, Grand Knight of Council 8926 of the Knights of Columbus, said in an interview.
Erma Pondillas, a member of Mother Butler’s Guild, said “we register our strongest condemnation to the use of chemical weapons which claimed thousands of lives with children as its primary victims. Using chemical weapons violate international law and it is horrifying to see these young ones being brought to their early demise due to uncalled war.”
“The use of chemical weapons is disgusting and we urgently call for immediate humanitarian assistance to the victims of these atrocities especially the victim’s families including other innocent civilians who are affected by the war,” the group said in a statement.
In an ecumenical prayer service this morning, members of various church-based groups on Saturdayoffered personal and collective intentions for worldwide peace specifically in Syria.
The group prayed the holy rosary and consecrated political leaders to the Blessed Virgin Mary and several novena prayers were recited for global peace and human rights victims.
Joining with the church groups also are students and out of school youths who wanted also to express their support for this unprecedented event as they lauded the initiative of Pope Francis for “entering again in the global stage and expressed the position of the Church in international issues such as in Syria.”
The group expressed also its opposition to the planned, brief and calculated air strike of the United States against Syria, saying that US government’s intervention will add only tension and feared that many innocent civilians will be added to the statistics of deaths as a regional war looms in Syria. (MART D. SAMBALUD)